vervain______

if you are searching for something, you will find it. and if you don't, you are sure to find a good replacement. don't worry about the details, they are not important. focus, instead, upon the journey, the stretch of your own longing, the breaking of your own heart, the quieting (finally) of the mind.
the men are all over the roof like ants. they shout to one another, create a racket with various machines. nailguns slam the nails in, old shingles fall to the earth. the windows in the apartment are shut closed. i try to keep them out. meanwhile, the temperature is rising. he is sleeping, a ring of sweat spreading out around his head, a halo, on the sheet. he has learned to suck through a straw, he has learned there is nothing to be afraid of yet.